Insomniacs (Adrienette Short Story)
by miraculousravenclaw
Summary: Marinette wakes with a start one night after a particularly terrifying nightmare. Deciding to call her best friend Alya, she picked up her phone and looks through her contacts. Unfortunately, due to her blurry, teary vision, she accidentally picks someone else's name; and just her luck, it's her long-time crush, Adrien Agreste.
1. Insomniacs

Marinette screamed, reaching out with her hand as her parents were washed away by a flood of akumas. "No, no! Mom, Dad!" she yelled frantically, tears falling out of her eyes. She pushed her wild bangs out of her eyes once more and ran after her parents, screaming again. Her earrings and Chat Noir's ring were on the floor, both broken. Marinette was nothing without her kwami. There was no way she could save her parents. But she could try.

"No, Hawk Moth! Leave- leave them alone! You- leave them al-"

Marinette gasped as she flew up into a sitting position on her bed. Beads of sweat trickled down the back of her neck. She gulped heavily and wiped the tears from her eyes, even though that action didn't do anything, as the tears were still flowing freely. Marinette rested her head in her hands and drew in a shaky breath. It's just a nightmare, Marinette. It wasn't real. Your earrings are indestructible. Just to be sure, she touched her ears with her hands. Marinette closed her eyes when the cool material of the earrings came in contact with her fingertips.

Suddenly, a small, high pitched snore rang throughout Marinette's room. Marinette turned her head to the side of her room.

"Oh," she whispered when she realized that Tikki was the one who had produced the snore. Marinette smiled softly before resting back on her bed. She tried to close her eyes and fall back asleep, but every time she tried, the image of her parents, Alya, and Adrien, all bloody and disheveled, came back. Tears welled in her eyes again as she sniffed. She absentmindedly grabbed her phone. All she needed right now was someone to talk to.

With blurry eyes, a heaving chest, and shaky fingers, Marinette found Alya's contact and clicked call, already knowing how to tell Alya of her dream without giving away that she was Ladybug.

* * *

Adrien sighed, sitting on his bed with his phone in hand. It wasn't on, but the weight of it felt good. He looked off to the side, where Plagg was snoring softly. Plagg's stink was part of the reason Adrien could never fall asleep, but there was more.

Ladybug. Who she really was. How she was so amazingly beautiful, smart, selfless, and so much more.

His mother. Where she really was.

His father. Why he was so bad at, well, being a father.

The Miraculous. Where did they come from? How? Why had they been formed?

Adrien looked down at his hand, forming a fist and staring at his ring. Well, he knew that Master Fu had something to do with it. Master Fu had given him the potion to defeat Syren. Fu must have been who Ladybug was going off and talking to all the time. Maybe he could go once and get some answers. Maybe Fu knew something about his mother.

Adrien scoffed. No, of course not. His mother's disappearance couldn't have anything to do with a Miraculous. Adrien was the only one in his family with one. Well, that might not be true. Adrien was hiding it and nobody in his family suspected him. It could also be the other way around. But the only people in Paris with Miraculouses were Ladybug, Hawk Moth, and Chat Noir, er, himself. And Rena Rouge, though she only showed up when Ladybug and Chat Noir really needed help. Rena Rouge couldn't be anyone in him house, as she had darker skin than anyone else. Ladybug had darker hair and was shorter than Nathalie, who was the only girl in his house. And Hawk-

Adrien's phone rang suddenly, breaking his train of thought and causing him to jump. Who could be calling at his hour? It was two thiry AM. He looked down, a small frown on his face. Marinette? Why was she awake? Nevertheless, he answered.

"Hel-"

"Oh, Alya, I'm so, so glad you picked up!" Marinette said immediately. Without giving Adrien a chance to respond she kept going. Adrien's frown deepened. Alya? Did Marinette mean to call Alya instead of him? He kept quiet anyways. He had a feeling she needed to get something out.

He listened closely as Marinette rambled on about a nightmare she had where she had become Ladybug. Just the thought of Marinette being Ladybug in real life made his face redden.

Anyways, she had become Ladybug, Hawk Moth took the Miraculouses, broke them, and stole away her parents, "you," which he presumed to, again, be Alya, and... Adrien? Why would he be in her nightmare? And as a victim no less?

Adrien's frown softened into a concerned smile, but as he heard a soft sob, the frown came back. Was she... crying? Adrien suddenly realized _exactly_ how much this nightmare had shaken his sweet classmate.

"Marinette..." he said softly, his voice husky. He coughed to clear his throat, and tried to get a word in. He couldn't let her believe she was talking to Alya when she wasn't.

"Alya, I'm so sorry, I know I probably woke you up, and this isn't really even a big deal, and I- I just-" Marinette broke off again, a sob escaping her mouth. "I just needed to-"

"Talk to someone?" Adrien interrupted. "Yeah, I get it. But, Marinette, it's not-"

"What happened to your voice?" Marinette asked sweetly. Marinette's sweet, innocent voice made Adrien feel slightly guilty. "Morning voice?"

"Um, well, yes, but no, Marinette, I'm not Alya," he muttered. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, a bad habit he had when he was nervous or embarrassed. "I'm Adrien."

"You-" Marinette broke off, her face heating up. "Oh my God. You're- oh my God. I'm so sorry. I, ugh, I thought it was Alya, oh my god, I- I just- I'm so- I'm so so sorry, Adrien, and you were probably sleeping and my dumb nightmare and I probably w-woke you up and oh my goodness I'm so sorry Adrien it's three AM and you're you, so you probably have a busy day tomorrow with like photo shoots and then we have school and-"

"Marinette!" Adrien cut her off sternly. "I wasn't asleep," he said, his voice now softer, but still husky. Marinette blushed, but shook her head to steer away from the thoughts in her head.

"I- I wasn't asleep, I couldn't sleep. I have insomnia, you see, well kind of. My mind is just always racing with thoughts and I was just thinking about..." Adrien paused here. "...some stuff when you called. I was awake. Don't worry."

"Well, okay," Marinette said cautiously. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Adrien blinked, staying quiet. "I- uh- Do I want to- Well I mean, I can't really, you know how it is, right, but I mean, we can talk for a while if it would help you?" he suggested, his voice unnaturally high because of how surprised he was.

Did she want to help him? Then again, he shouldn't be surprised, as Marinette was generally a very nice, helpful person. She was kind, sweet, generous, smart, and pretty cute. If only she was normal around him. He couldn't help but feel she was intimidated by him by the way she stuttered around him. She was completely normal with everyone else, even Chloe. Maybe she wasn't over the gum incident. That couldn't be it, though, because Marinette's motto was probably to forgive and forget.

"Um, sure," Marinette muttered. Adrien nodded before realizing that she couldn't see him. "So, are you comfortable talking about your fears? Maybe I could help you," he suggested again, rubbing his neck once more.

"Sure," Marinette said. "Well, I mean, my biggest fear is probably losing my loved ones, like my parents and Alya and-" she stopped there.

"And?" he asked, urging her to go on. "It's okay, Marinette. You know, that thing, like what's said here stays here? It's like that."

"Um- uh- Chat Noir?" Mariette blurted. Adrien's mouth clamped shut. His eyes widened and his face and neck heated up. He pulled at his shirt with one hand, holding his phone up with the other. "Chat Noir?" he breathed. "Really?"

Marinette, in her own room, was also burning with embarrassment. Chat Noir! What was she thinking? She had been about to say Adrien, but she stopped herself just in time. She couldn't have dealt with the embarrassment if Adrien found out. But Chat Noir! How was this any better?

"I- I- well yeah, I mean, he's sweet, funny, smart, and a good listener. He's kind of like you. I mean, well, you're way better than him, and you're cuter too, I mean, well, he's, I just... you know..." Marinette bit her lip. She tried to explain herself, but had only ended up embarrassing herself further. God, now Adrien was going to think she was a total weirdo.

"Well, okay." Adrien breathed. He had finally calmed down. "Does that mean you love Chat Noir?" he asked, cautious to not say "me" instead of "Chat Noir."

"W- Well, I just, I don't lo- I don't love him, I love someone else, I mean, not him, not anyone, well, I love some people, of course, but I just... ugh, I'm sorry, I'm so weird." Marinette mentally facepalmed.

Adrien just chuckled. "You're really cute," he sighed. His eyes widened when he realized what he had said. "I mean, you are, but I mean not like that, I mean..." he kept rambling, but Marinette was in a daze.

"You think I'm cute?" she said quietly, screaming internally.

"Well, I mean, yeah, when you stutter and blush, and then you're really creative and smart too, you know?" he said. Marinette stayed quiet, and Adrien started to get more nervous. What if he had scared her away? "Marinette?"

"You're cute too," Marinette admitted after a moment, her face and neck burning. "You're smart and handsome, and funny, and your puns are honest to goodness the worst, but sometimes when I don't see you for a long time, like last winter break, I start to miss them. But then, Chat Noir comes up and saves the day," Marinette giggled at the thought of her kitty. Maybe she did mean it, at least a little, when she had said is name in place of Adrien's. "His puns are honestly the worst. He started to visit me and flirt with me, too," she added.

Adrien chuckled. "Good to know," he said honestly.

And so the two went on, laughing and talking and sharing secrets until the sun started to rise.

"Oh my goodness, look outside, we've been talking for hours," Marinette gasped.

"It feels like only five minutes," Adrien frowned, looking out his own window. "Huh. Cool. Well, I'll see you tomorrow? Or, I mean, today, at school?"

"Yeah." Marinette nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "You know, the weird thing is, I'm not even tired. At all."

"Me neither," Adrien said. "Well, I'm going to hang up now."

"Okay," Marinette said, biting her lip. Out of habit, since she usually only spoke with Alya or her family members over the phone, she said the last few words without meaning to. "Bye, I love you."

"Love you too," Adrien said, as a reflex, and then he hung up.

Both took a moment to realize what their last exchange had been, and both stared at their phones, thinking only one thing.

 _Did we just say that we love each other?_


	2. Bonus Scene (1)

_**A/N- Pretty much everyone who reviewed this said that they wanted another part to this. So this isn't going to be a real story, and I will wrap the whole thing up in this part or the next.**_

 _ **Funny thing is, while writing Adrien's feelings on being Chat, the song Pretender by AJR came on. If you haven't heard AJR, then I highly recommend it. Also Linkin Park, MKTO, and Imagine Dragons are pretty great.**_

 _ **Then, as I was writing about Marinette's innocence and its effect on Adrien for the second or third time, the song Hands Off my Heart by MKTO came on, the first verse of which is "Baby you don't even know it, but you're leaving me in pieces / You take, you take, you take me apart / Baby, I surrender, it's too late for me to get your hands off, hands off / Get your hands off my heart" Coincidence? Or is fate telling me to continue this fanfiction?**_

 _ **Also, since I didn't put when this takes place in the first chapter, here it is; Junior year of high school, or 11th grade, so they're 16/17.**_

 _ **Okay, two more things before I leave you guys to reading-**_

 _ **1) YOU PEOPLE ARE SO AMAZING. I love all of you so, so much and I can't believe that not even half an hour after I uploaded the original one-shot, reviews, follows, and favorites came pouring in. It was such a pleasant surprise and I want to thank each and every one of you. Thank you! 3**_

 _ **2) I am so, so sorry this took so long, but I have two very valid reasons, actually.**_

 _ **One, I wasn't planning on writing this part in the first place and I had a lot of writer's block in some parts, so yeah.**_

 _ **Two, I am currently preparing myself to take three very big academic tests. These tests are to determine if I can, basically, skip a grade, but only for three subjects. If I pass this, I'll finish ALL high school courses by 11th grade. It is such a good opportunity and I'm so lucky to have it. Naturally, I've been studying my butt off trying to prepare. I have a week and a half to learn all the History, English, and Physics topics that 98% of my county get a year to learn. I take only two or three thirty minute breaks a day, which I spent all of working on this and/or being on Tumblr, but mostly writing.**_

 _ **Wish me luck, and enjoy!**_

* * *

Marinette blinked lazily as she sat down in her seat at school the next day. I'm never staying up like that on a school night again, she thought, crossing her arms on her desk and laying her head down on them. Her face heated up in embarrassment as she thought back to her phone call with Adrien, or more specifically, the last words they had said to each other.

I love you.

It wasn't false information on her part. She did fall in love with the talented boy who graced her and made her go dizzy just by sitting down in front of her. She had been in love with him ever since a few days after the umbrella incident.

Marinette was shaken out of her daze as said crush walked in the room, talking with Nino. Alya trailed in after the two boys, her eyes glued to her phone. Marinette, on the other hand, had her eyes glued on Adrien. She didn't hear their conversation but sighed contentedly when closed his eyes and laughed, his sun-kissed hair shaking as the soothing sound filled the air.

"Marinette?" Adrien said suddenly. Marinette jumped and wiped the stupid smile off her face, blinking rapidly.

"Y-yes, Adrien?" she stuttered, twisting her fingers together nervously.

"You are alright, right? You won't be too tired today?" the blonde asked, his eyebrows pressing together in concern.

"Oh- yeah, I'll be fine, will you be okay?" she asked. As Adrien responded, he discreetly tapped her wrist. She blushed, the point of contact between his skin and her sparking. She looked down, noticing his hand curled into a fist. He reached for her hand, slipping something into it. Marinette instinctively tightened her hand around the item. She smiled in response to Adrien's answer to her question and brought her hand back, looking at the item under the table.

It was a piece of paper with lots of crisscrossing fold lines dancing all over it. Marinette squinted, trying to flatten it out with her hand to better read it. In what she easily recognized as Adrien's handwriting, the note read, Can you meet me at the Eiffel Tower at 6 after school? Marinette flushed, rubbing a hand on her forehead. She looked up sheepishly to meet the expectant green eyes that were staring straight at her. The blushing girl nodded slowly, her face exploding in a bright blush as Adrien grinned, his handsome smile easily reaching his eyes.

Marinette looked back down and stuffed the paper in her jacket's pocket. Just then, Mme. Bustier walked in the classroom. Marinette took out her tablet and stylus, biting her lip to keep her excitement in. She would have to tell Alya everything later on.

* * *

"Marinette, that's amazing! I'm so sorry about your nightmare, that sounds horrible, but oh my gosh! You do realize that the love of your life helped you through a fear, talked and laughed with you over the phone for hours, and said he loves you?" Marinette looked away, blushing.

"Alya, it's not like he meant it. He probably wants to talk to me about exactly that. Ugh, Alya, this is horrible!" Marinette stood up from her chair in her room. She began to pace, her nerves growing by the second.

She turned to Alya, who was sitting on the couch across from her. "I mean, he'll probably want to let me down as easily as possible, and he'll tell me he didn't really mean it, and he'll think it'll be a relief to me, but then it won't be, because all I want is for him to love me like I love him, but there's no way that's happening, because I can't even talk to him when I see his face, and I'll probably start stuttering and blushing and do my weird hand thing, and he'll probably wonder why he even talked to me in the first place because I'm so weird, and oh my God, Alya, help me!" Marinette groaned, tears collecting in her eyes, and collapsed next to the brunette.

To the blackette's dismay, her best friend merely chuckled and patted Marinette's knee. "Girl, sometimes you are too much. Adrien won't reject you, I'm sure he said what he did for a reason. Maybe," Alya added slowly, "he always felt this way about you and he's just now realizing it."

"Right," Marinette drawled, "as if," Marinette sat up and took her phone out from her pocket. "It's only four thirty. I'm supposed to meet Adrien at six. Ugh, what am I even going to say? It's not like I can say that I didn't mean it when I said I loved him because I did, I do, love him. He probably only said it as a reflex."

Alya shook her head. She wanted to reassure her best friend that Adrien wouldn't reject her, but she didn't want Marinette to get her hopes too high either. The brunette merely smiled softly at her best friend and laid down on the couch. "Why don't you calm down and sit here for a bit before we go get you ready, hm?"

Marinette sighed dejectedly, wiping away her tears and nodded. "Yeah, okay. I shouldn't hope for the worst," she added as she laid down next to Alya. "I mean, you never know, right?"

* * *

Adrien paced his room, his hands on his head as he rambled on and on to Plagg. "Adrien, chill! It's not as if you actually meant it. Now, if you will please stop rambling and get me something to eat?"

Adrien stopped, staring at the tiny flying cat with disbelief written all over his face. "You don't get it, Plagg! I don't know if I meant it or not! The more I think about it, the more I wonder if I really do love Marinette. Because I don't know, I- she's smart, kind, creative, beautiful." Adrien sighed, sitting down on his couch.

"Well, what about Ladybug?" Plagg reminded his holder, genuinely trying to help. The frustrated boy stared up at his kwami. "I don't know, Plagg!" he nearly shouted, digging his fingers into his hair. "I..." Adrien shook his head, removing his hands from his head and dragging them down his face. "I'm sorry, I don't know though, Plagg."

Adrien leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and face in his hands. There was Ladybug and there was Marinette. Life would be so much easier if they were the same person. He thought back to Marinette's nightmare. It was ironic that in her dream, she was Ladybug. _That's one part,_ he thought, _that I wish wasn't a dream._

The blonde needed to clear his mind. He needed to go for a run, maybe visit the girl who was causing him this trauma and see how she was taking this. _Yeah,_ he decided. _If I can see how she's feeling, maybe I'll feel better about myself._

As Chat Noir, Adrien could be who he wanted. He could be the suave, flirtatious, pun-master he really was under his model's facade. He didn't have to pretend, and he didn't have to monitor all his actions just for his reputation.

As Chat Noir, Adrien could be _Adrien._

Abruptly, Adrien stood turned around. "Plagg!" he started energetically. "Time to- Plagg? Where'd you go?" Suddenly, a clanging sound came from beside the bed. Adrien rushed over, picking up his bag and opening it to find the one and only Plagg, holding a piece of camembert in each hand of his, chewing. Adrien rolled his eyes. "Stop eating, you silly thing. Time to transform; Plagg, claws out!"

* * *

Marinette waved a nervous goodbye to Alya, turning and closing the door to the bakery when Alya turned a corner. She rushed up to her room, sighing as she slid down against a wall. "Oh, Tikki, what am I going to do?" she groaned. Before Marinette's small companion could respond, a tapping sound came from the trapdoor above her. "Quick, Tikki, hide!" Marinette whispered, getting up to open the trapdoor as the kwami zoomed to a good hiding spot.

Marinette moved out of the way after opening the trapdoor to let her visitor in. "Hello, princess," the sly cat purred. "How are-" he paused, getting a good look at her face. It was flushed, and her eyes were red, as if she had been crying. "What happened?" he said suddenly, quietly, and to not only Marinette's but _his_ surprise, angrily. "Who made you cry?"

His princess turned around, gulping audibly. He quietly reached out to her. Chat bit his lip, not wanting to overstep his boundaries as he rested his hand lightly on her shoulder. Marinette flinched at his touch, but didn't turn around and didn't tell him to get off. The touch was slightly comforting.

"I- I'm fine, Chat. It- nobody _made_ me cry," Marinette said after a moment, chuckling dryly. "I just- I got myself into a big fat mess and I don't know how to get out." Chat furrowed his brow and stepped closer to Marinette, turning her around to meet him. As he looked down at his princess, he could see that she was hurting.

"Princess," he whispered, "care to elaborate? Maybe I could help you?" Marinette pulled away and sat down on her couch.

Chat went to her desk and sat in her chair, using his feet to roll in so he was in front of Marinette. He leaned over and took her hand. Slowly, he brought it to his lips and lightly pressed them against her delicate knuckles. Marinette flushed, slowly taking her hand away. She balled her hands, pressing them together. Taking a deep breath, she spoke.

"I- I had a terrifying nightmare the other night," she began, her voice barely audible. She cleared her throat, and this time when she spoke, it was louder, a little more so than a whisper. "I don't really want to talk about that, specifically, if- you know- if that's okay?" the delicate girl bit her lip and looked up at Chat through her eyelashes. She tilted her head in slight confusion when Chat's eyes widened and he cleared his throat, a blush exploding under his mask.

"No, no you don't have to elaborate on _that,_ princess," he purred slyly, once he calmed down of course. He turned away, trying to hide his blush. Chat knew that his princess didn't know how beautiful, how _innocent,_ she looked when staring up at him like that. And then when she tilted her head, her full, pink lips automatically forming a small pout, her doe-like eyes slightly squinting in confusion... the feline hero drew in a shaky breath, trying to rid himself of his teenage boy thoughts. Marinette needed him right now, and he wouldn't let her down.

"Go on," he encouraged, resting his hand on hers in a (hopefully) helpful manner.

Marinette nodded. "Well, I meant to call Alya, my best friend, to talk about it with her but I was crying and stuff and I accidentally called Adrien, who I don't know if I told you about him, but he's an amazing boy in my class. He's smart and funny and kind and gorgeous and he's a model and he's rich but he doesn't flaunt it and he's always trying to help. I- He's the one I told you about a few visits ago, do you remember?"

Chat couldn't think. He actually couldn't think. He was so glad that the mask covered most of his cheeks because he was blushing profusely under it. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't move, he couldn't do anything. The visit that Marinette was reminding him of replayed in his mind.

 _"Really, kitty, it's no big deal. You should just go, your ring already beeped once!" Marinette insisted, crossing her arms over her chest. Chat Noir laughed lightly._

 _"Just tell me one fact about this mystery boy! It can even be a tiny little unimportant detail that nobody cares about!" he insisted, knocking his shoulder with his princess'._

 _"There are no details about him that_ _I_ _don't care for. I love everything about him." The designer said defensively, standing up from her previous sitting position next to Chat on her couch. "Hmm... what to tell, what to tell," she mumbled. Chat watched as she moved back and forth in front of him. Impatiently, he twisted his fingers together and looked down._

 _"He fences," Marinette said, finally. She looked up at Chat, who had stood up and moved by the trapdoor in anticipation of his leave. The cat raised an eyebrow under the mask, studying the girl's face. Her beautiful cerulean eyes were wide and he could see her adoration for whomever she was talking about in them. "He fences, and he has blonde hair. There, that's two, more than I promised, now leave, Chat!"_

 _"You really love him, huh?" he muttered, not understanding why he felt a bit jealous. "What has this guy got that I don't?"_

 _"Well, well, well, Kitty, jealous much?" Marinette teased. "I'm sorry, but you're right, he really has managed to capture my heart. I can't even talk around him, though. How am I ever going to earn his love if I can't even manage a full sentence near him?"_

 _As Marinette looked off to the side with a slightly desperate look in her eyes, Chat felt a pang in his chest due to his princess' dilemma. "He doesn't deserve you, whoever he is. You deserve someone who will appreciate you as soon as they lay eyes on you. You're awesome, Marinette."_

 _Marinette scoffed lightly. "I don't want anyone else, Chat. I love A- him," she said quickly, fixing her slight mistake. "I love him. And you need to leave," the blackette reminded. "Bye, Kitty."_

 _Chat Noir shook off his feelings and used his arms to pull himself onto Marinette's balcony. "Bye, Princess."_

"Chat?" Marinette asked. "Chat? Hello?" Marinette snapped her fingers in front of the hero's face, causing him to break out of his trance.

"Yeah, yeah," Chat said, waving his hand dismissively. "I'm fine. Keep going."

"Okay, well, Adrien listened to me and helped me and we ended up talking until the sun rose and then, as an instinct of sorts, I guess, I said 'I love you!' I said that I loved him, Chat! I didn't even mean to! And the worst part is, he said it back! He probably didn't even mean it, you know, because when someone says they love you, it's kind of hard not to say it back because it feels weird, right, and, ugh, he invited me to meet with him later at the Eiffel Tower and that's not good either because he's probably going to reject me but he'll think it'll be a relief to me and I can't say that I don't love him and it was an accident because it was an accident but I really _do_ love him! Chat, this is horrible! Should I even go?"

Chat took a deep breath, needing a moment to comprehend Marinette's dilemma and to calm down. "Okay, so, I actually know Adrien," Chat said, hoping this wouldn't give anything away. "I.. spoke with him earlier. He said that he's really nervous about this and he doesn't know why he said he loves you back but then he said that the more he thinks about you the more he knows he meant it. So yeah, you should go. And, if... and that's a big 'if,' princess- if things don't work out, you know your knight will be here for you."

With a beep from his ring signaling that Plagg was hungry (again), Chat stood and went over to the trapdoor. He reached up, preparing to heave himself up. He looked back at Marinette, whose delicate mouth was in a small 'o' shape, whose beautiful blue eyes were shining and wide, whose beautiful complexion was tinted pink in a light blush. He smiled softly at her before giving her a bow and a two-finger salute, and then he left, closing the trapdoor behind him.

As Marinette gazed after him, she couldn't stop thinking about Chat's reaction to her confession about Adrien. It was as if Chat was... nervous? Or jealous? Honestly, the aspiring designer had no idea what went through Chat's mind at times. She sighed, looking at her phone for the time.

 _5:52!_ Marinette jumped up, grabbed her purse, and told Tikki to come on. She opened her purse so her giggling kwami could get in. Telling Tikki to hush, Marinette ran down the stairs, let her parents know where she was going and rushed through the busy evening streets of Paris in an attempt to be on time to her meeting with Adrien.

* * *

After jumping rooftop-to-rooftop to get home quickly so he could de-transform and go out as his civilian identity, Adrien grabbed his wallet and walked out of the house, letting Nathalie know where he was going. Lucky for him, his modeling and lessons schedule was free for the rest of the day. The blonde ran to the Eiffel Tower, hoping he'd be on time.

Unfortunately, the model's luck was short-lived. Halfway to the Eiffel Tower, Chloe called him. Adrien didn't stop running, but he did answer. "What, Chloe?" he snapped, annoyed. _Now, of all times?_

Chloe ignored his tone. "Adrikins! What are you up to? Obviously, it can't be more important than spending time with me, so, come over! We can have a little fun!" Adrien scrunched up his nose in disgust at what kind of 'fun' Chloe was suggesting they have.

"Sorry- I'm sorry, excuse me," Adrien muttered, dodging people. "Chloe, I really can't talk, I have... uh... prior commitments," he said, running across a street. _Almost there._

"But Adrikins, how can whatever you're doing _possibly_ be more important than _me_?" Adrien physically flinched at Chloe's whiny tone.

"Sorry, Chlo, maybe-" Adrien's voice was cut off as something- or someone, rather,- bumped into his chest, and pretty strongly at that. Adrien stepped back, regaining his balance, and help the person by their arms to help stabilize them. "Sorry, I should have loo- Marinette?" After seeing the flushed girl's face, a blush immediately took over his face.

Marinette squeaked, surprising him. "A- Adrien! Hi! I was just on my see to way you! I-I mean me you to see the way- no, er- I was on my way to see you," Marinette gulped heavily, pulling back and rubbing her upper arms. "Sorry. Are you okay?"

Adrien nodded shyly, rubbing his neck with a hand. "I'm great. I was also on my way to see you. I guess we could walk there together, then?" the blond suggested, looking down shyly. Marinette smiled softly, her cheeks becoming pinker. "Yeah, okay, sure- I mean, of course, I mean, that- that's a good idea."

Marinette turned around, facepalming herself not so discreetly. "You're so dumb, stop it!" she hissed at herself angrily. Adrien reached out, slightly amused, and tapped her shoulder. "Shall we go?" he asked, smiling. The blackette only nodded, an embarrassed smile making its way onto her face.

The two were silent as they walked, each immersed in their own thoughts. Marinette was thinking of her own idiocy, whereas Adrien was thinking of how to word his thoughts. Adrien stuffed his hands into his pockets, looking down. He noticed Marinette shivering slightly, and he saw the perfect opportunity. "Are you cold, Marinette?" he asked, stopping her by putting a hand on her arm. He felt her stiffen as she looked up at him, but he could feel himself stiffen when he saw her eyes. Again, there they were, looking up at him through Marinette's thick eyelashes, screaming innocence and beauty at him. And her full, kissable lips in a pout so small, it was barely there, but he noticed it.

To his pleasure, Marinette nodded slowly. To his dismay, on the other hand, Marinette's eyes widened with a panicked look. "Oh, you're- no, no, no, Adrien, I don't want you to be cold, I just forgot my jacket in my rush, you know me, I'm so dumb, I always forget st-"

Marinette was cut off with something she hadn't expected at all, but she loved it. The experience of right before and during felt like slow motion. She felt herself being tugged closer to the love of her life with one of his hands on her waist and the other on her shoulder. Her eyes widened as he leaned down and his eyes closed. She felt herself melt into him, more and more, when he removed the space between their lips, when he tugged her even closer than she thought was possible, when the hand that had been on her shoulder slid up to cup her cheek. Her eyes were still open, because she was surprised, and her lips were still against his. Slowly, she closed her eyes and brought up her hands to his neck.

Marinette went onto her tip-toes, pressing against Adrien as she got more comfortable. At the moment, it seemed as if air would not be needed- Adrien was her oxygen.

* * *

When Adrien kissed her, he didn't know what he was doing. Well, that was a lie. His body was just _doing_ without _thinking_. He knew many things.

He knew that he couldn't stand Marinette putting herself down and called herself dumb, because she wasn't, because she was the smartest, sweetest, funniest, most beautiful girl he knew.

He knew that he was captivated by Marinette.

He knew he wanted to be closer to Marinette, both emotionally and physically. Mostly physically, at that moment.

He knew that he was leaning down.

He knew he was pulling his princess closer to him.

He knew her beautiful eyes had widened in surprise when he closed his.

He knew she had stayed still when he closed the gap between their lips.

He knew he had pressed his lips lightly against hers, scared to put too much pressure, as if she was a delicate piece of fine china that would break if he held her too tightly.

He knew he had worried that his kissing her would scare her, or ruin her feelings for him.

He knew he had loosened his tense stance when she relaxed against him.

He knew that he couldn't deny the rush of electricity and love that pulsed through him when Marinette leaned up into him and rested her arms around his neck.

He knew that he moved his lips softly against hers, loving their sweet taste.

He knew that he didn't _need_ oxygen, because, at that moment, Marinette was his oxygen.

He knew that, unfortunately, he did need to pull away, because there was something he needed to say.

When he did pull away, Marinette involuntarily made a sound from the back of her throat; a sound of longing. Adrien chuckled, understanding. He tilted up Marinette's face softly so that her eyes would meet his.

"You aren't dumb," he whispered, his voice husky and rough. He turned away and coughed to clear his throat. "You aren't dumb," the model said again, searching the blackette's eyes with his own. "You're smart, and funny, and kind, and adorable, and beautiful, and you're always sticking up for the underdog, and I love you, Marinette." he paused, brushing his thumb over Marinette's jawline. "I'm not just saying that because you did first this time, either. I said it first. Because I mean it. I can say it with three hundred percent certainty, that Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I love you."

Marinette's mouth parted, and she started to breath faster. The boy she had been in love with for years just confessed to loving her back. This was the best day of her life! She grinned suddenly, eye to eye, which made Adrien grin right back. The blonde took Marinette's hand and kissed it, making her blush even more. He gave her a lopsided smile and leaned down to plant a quick kiss on the blackette's lips once more.

Marinette clicked her tongue against her teeth and shook her head. A wave of confidence washed over her. "What kind of kiss was that, Adrien?" she whispered, leaning up again. Marinette locked her lips with Adrien's again, holding him tightly, as if she never wanted to let go. She felt him smile into the kiss as he pulled her even closer by the waist. This time, when she pulled away, Adrien made the longing sound, and Marinette giggled.

"I love you too, Adrien. I always have," she said, looking up at him with nothing in her eyes up adoration and love.

After Adrien pressed a final kiss to Marinette's forehead, he smiled down at her. "So, is there any way I can interest you in an actual date, Marinette?"

Marinette bit her lower lip, pulling herself farther away from him and turning to walk back down the road. "Depends, are you going to walk me home?"

Adrien scoffed. "What kind of a man would I be if I didn't? More than that," he said, stepping closer to Marinette and taking her hand tightly in his. "I want to spend as much time as I can with you. I'm sorry for not seeing you before, but I'm here and I see you more clearly than ever before. The sight is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Marinette flushed. She hadn't expected that. "I love you, Adrien," the heroine said. "So, so much."

"And I love you," Adrien said, "forever. I promise."

After sealing his promise with another kiss that sent Marinette straight into heaven, Adrien draped an arm around her and continued to talk about his slightly exaggerated plans for sweeping her off of her feet with his perfect first date, oblivious to her bright, happy blush.

 _I love you, forever._


	3. Bonus Scene (2)

**Hey guys! Once again, thank you for the support. This chapter will include the r-word and a LOT OF FLUFF, SO BE CAREFUL! This will be the final chapter of this story. A few of my friends have been asking for the playlist I listen to while writing this. I'll add a part with that after this chapter, but in the meantime, thank you for the well-wishes on my tests and enjoy!**

* * *

"Adrien!" Marinette giggled, pressing her hands against _her boyfriend's_ chest. God, she loved calling him that. She didn't have to dream about calling him her boyfriend anymore. It was a reality- although, she had to be honest, it felt like a dream whenever she was with him.

"Marinette!" Adrien mocked her, removing her hands and reaching over to continue kissing her cheeks and lips. Marinette's giggle was like music to his ears, and he wanted nothing more than to hear it again and again. "I love you," he whined as she pulled farther away from him. "Let me kiss you!"

His face brightened considerably when Marinette laughed again. "And I love you," Marinette said, giving Adrien a quick peck, which they both smiled into. Marinette thought back to earlier in the day when she had been talking with Alya about her relationship with Adrien. The two had been dating for weeks now and Alya felt like it was time for Marinette to open up to her best friend about Adrien.

 _Marinette raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Why do we need to talk about Adrien?"_

 _"Well," Alya drawled. Marinette could tell she was feeling awkward. "Nino told me that Adrien was pretty much in love with Ladybug. I just don't want you to be hurt if he goes to Ladybug, okay? Maybe you should talk to him about it?"_

 _Marinette's breath hitched. Adrien was in love with Ladybug? Well, that wasn't exactly a problem, seeing as Marinette was Ladybug. But she couldn't tell Alya that, so Marinette settled with shrugging and agreeing to talk with Adrien about it._

 _Anyways, it would be fun to mess with him._

"Adrien, we need to talk, okay?" Marinette said, clasping her hand over Adrien's mouth and using the other to push him a little backward. She felt his lips curve into a frown under her hands.

"Are we in trouble?" Adrien asked slowly, carefully, after removing his girlfriend's hand from his mouth and giving it a quick kiss. "If I did something, I'm so-"

"No, we aren't in trouble," Marinette giggled. "You didn't do anything. I love you, forever, remember?" Marinette teased, leaning up to kiss Adrien's cheek. She smirked when he blushed a little and looked down.

"Well, then what?"

Marinette gulped and looked away. Inside, she knew her worries weren't real, and she was only _acting_ , but Adrien didn't need to know that. "Ah, Al- er, someone told me you have, or had, I don't know, a little-more-than-a-little crush on Ladybug. I just- you know- I don't- well I mean to say- is it true?"

Adrien blinked, taken aback. The moment he had realized and come to terms with his love for Marinette, the moment he kissed her for the very first time, Adrien had immediately shoved away his feelings for Ladybug. He accepted the fact that Ladybug would never love him, but he'd still be her friend. The model had let his love for the spotted lady go, and slowly, as he spent more time with Marinette and fell even deeper in love with her, Ladybug became the farthest thing from his mind. Marinette was _his_ , and he wasn't planning on letting go. There would always be a place for Ladybug in his heart, but it would never be as close to him as Marinette.

As Adrien explained this to the love of his life, he refused to look at her face. He couldn't handle looking at her beautiful, full lips, or her silky, dark hair. If he couldn't handle _those_ , how could the boy even attempt to stomach looking into his princess' bright, deep, doe-like eyes while talking about his previous love for another woman?

Somewhere around the part where Adrien mentioned that he wasn't planning on letting go of Marinette, the girl herself broke. She couldn't hold herself back anymore. It broke her heart that her love couldn't even look at her while saying this. She interrupted him in the only way she could without letting her tears flow.

Marinette pressed her lips on Adrien's, effectively making him shut up. He blinked, blanking for a second before closing his eyes and pressing against Marinette. He groaned when she brought a hand up to his hair. Marinette smiled at his reaction, glad she could get it from him. He let out a low whine as she pulled away reluctantly.

"Adrien," she breathed, her face flushed from the kiss. "I love you."

Adrien couldn't hold in his bright grin as he pulled Marinette lips back to his.

An hour or so later, once Adrien had gone out of vision and hearing range from her house, Marinette turned to Tikki. "Come on, Tikki. We've got a patrol to get to. Spots on!"

* * *

Ladybug tossed her yo-yo, yanking on it after it wrapped around a building. She grinned, loving the feeling of the wind in her hair as she lept from rooftop to rooftop. The savior of Paris was on her way to the Eiffel Tower to meet Chat Noir for a patrol. Lately, the nights had been pretty dull, with only a couple robberies or muggings a month. Ladybug had agreed with Chat that they could bring their phones for patrols, as long as they didn't get too distracted.

When the spotted heroine reached the Eiffel Tower, Chat was already there. Ladybug giggled at his sight, as he was crouching on the ground as if he were a cat. He licked his hand and used the back of it to brush away part of his bangs that were dangling in front of his eyes, blocking his sight.

"Hey, Kitty," Ladybug greeted kindly. "Ready to go?"

"Of course, my lady," the cat swiftly stood and turned around, trying to mask his surprise. "I'm ready for anything when you're with me," he purred.

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "You seem to be in a particularly good mood today."

"I am," he said. "I just came from hanging out with my girlfriend."

"What a coincidence," the heroine smiled, "I just came from spending some time with my boyfriend. Anyways, should we go?"

With a nod from her feline partner, Ladybug tossed her yo-yo and yanked on it, sending her jumping and running across rooftops, side by side with Chat Noir. After a patrol of about 45 minutes, Ladybug and Chat Noir were sitting on a rooftop together. They were quiet, each immersed in their own thoughts.

Chat hummed quietly to himself, glad things had gone the way they did at Marinette's house. He wondered what she was up to now. Pulling out his phone, he sent Marinette a quick text.

 _Hey, what's up?_

He looked up in surprise after sending it. Less than a second after he clicked sent, Ladybug's phone sounded a notification alarm. Ladybug took out her phone, Chat watching closely. He blinked in surprise at her lock and home screens. They were both _him._ Well, not him, but Adrien. As Chat looked closely, he noticed that the picture of her lock screen was their entire group of four friends. Her home screen was just him, and him laughing. There was no way Ladybug could get that from a photo shoot because he only laughed like that with his friends. He was sure of it.

"So, my lady, where did you get those photos of Agreste?" he asked, leaning closer to her to get a closer look. "Are you a fan?" Chat teased, knocking his shoulder lightly with Ladybug's.

To his surprise, Ladybug only scoffed. "Please, Chat. I'm a fan, yes, but I'm more than that. I'm his girlfriend!"

Chat blinked. She's what? Chat Noir wasn't cheating on his princess. "Are you joking?" he asked skeptically. He didn't want to believe that Marinette was Ladybug. That would mean his girlfriend has been eaten by a dinosaur, ridden a dragon, and so much more dangerous stuff. Plus, she threw his ass halfway across Paris.

"No! See, I'll call him right now. On speaker," before Chat could protest, Ladybug had clicked call and the feline hero's phone began to ring. Chat Noir simply stared at his phone. He sheepishly looked at his partner from the side while sliding his finger over the green "answer call" button and bringing his phone to his ear.

"Hey Mari," he said quietly.

"Adrien," Ladybug breathed. "Oh my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my- Oh my God!" Chat Noir leaned back in surprise when the blackette jumped up and began to walk back and forth. "Oh my God. You- you're- but you can't be, you're so sweet- and Chat's just- puns- and the kiss a year ago- and you died- and you almost..." Ladybug gasped and turned around.

To Chat's surprise, Ladybug looked angry. Really, if she were a cartoon, steam would be coming out of her ears. He stood up and instinctively lifted is hands in an "I'm innocent" position.

The blond stepped back when his girlfriend jabbed a finger into his chest harshly. His brow furrowed. Ladybug- Marinette- was shaking. He reached out a hand to hold her, but the heroine only slapped it away.

"Spots off," Marinette said, drawing in a shaky breath as she de-transformed. Tikki, her kwami, only sat on Marinette's shoulder, comforting the girl a little bit.

"You-" Marinette whisper-shouted. "You were falling from a building and didn't transform!? How could you? You almost died, Adrien!" Marinette's voice had risen to a shaky shout now, and a single tear fell from her eye. "I almost lost you, do you know how terrifying that was?!"

When Adrien de-transformed, Plagg flew away from his holder and pulled Tikki away, both whispering excitedly. Adrien only stood there. He didn't know how to comfort his princess, but her voice broke his heart.

"But I didn't," Adrien whispered. "I didn't, because I loved you, and I trusted you."

"I barely got away in time! You're lucky Hawk Moth didn't feel like killing anyone that day!" Marinette said, exasperated.

"I didn't die, I'm right here, princess," Adrien said, slowly reaching a hand to her shoulder. "You saved me. The past is in the past, so let it go. I'm here."

Marinette released a single sob, which prompted the blond to pull her into his chest and wrap his arms around her. He held in a chuckle when the unmasked heroine started to lightly punch his torso.

"Shh," Adrien cooed when Marinette sobbed once again, pushing one last weak punch into his chest. "I'm right here. I love you."

He sat down on the rooftop, Marinette still in his arms. He felt her lean against him more, and he began to rub his hand up and down her arm. "I love you, too," Adrien smiled when he heard her whisper.

They sat quietly for a while, exchanging small forehead and cheek kisses, along with an "I love you," every now and then.

* * *

Marinette grinned, jumping onto Adrien's bed. "This is so comfortable," she sighed happily. Adrien laughed, laying down next to his girlfriend. It had been a few days since the reveal, and the couple couldn't be happier. Chloe was beginning to lay off, akumas were decreasing, the bakery was blooming because Adrien went there so often now.

The two stayed quiet for a while, basking in each other's company. Adrien intertwined his fingers with Marinette's, lifting her hand to give it a kiss. Marinette giggled, pulling her hand back. Adrien smirked, holding her hand again, but his mind began to drift off. _Marinette was Ladybug._ The girl of his dreams was the heroine of his dreams. It was awesome. He thought back to when akumas were frequent, and all the dumb things they had to do to save Paris. Ladybug risked her life so many times for this city.

"... I can't believe you jumped into a T-Rex's mouth," Adrien said. Marinette blinked in surprise, but then turned on her side to face him.

"You jumped in front of Dark Cupid and got shot," she scoffed.

"You almost let yourself get sacrificed by an Egyptian god!"

"You tried to take on an army of knights by yourself!"

"You tried to defeat an akuma by forming an impromptu band and singing about a smelly wolf!"

"Hey, it worked, and anyway, you threw your bodyguard down a lift shaft from the eighth floor!"

"You threw me across Paris!"

"You jumped in front of Timebreaker and basically _died_!"

"You rode a hairdryer!"

"And while I did that, you stood there and made a useless pun! And, you decided that the best way to protect a prince was by putting a bowl on his head! Not to mention the time you asked me if I thought your alter ego was cool to validate that you're not a complete dork, which you are. You were genuinely annoyed because your copycat didn't make good puns. Also, you pretend to take _showers_ at the most inconvenient times to avoid having your identity revealed!" Marinette finished, laughing hard. She kept giggling, and soon Adrien joined her. They were laughing so hard that tears began to stream from their eyes.

"Oh my God, fine," Adrien laughed. "I'm dumber than you!" he gasped for air, but he couldn't stop laughing. Once the couple slowed their laughing, they sighed and faced each other.

"You may be a total dork-asaurus," Marinette teased when Adrien pulled her closer. "But I love you and I'm so happy to be your partner. I need you," she admitted with a grin.

"And I love you," Adrien said, giving his lady a sweet kiss. "And I need you. You complete me, you are beautiful, and you're mine. It feels so good to say that," the model chuckled. Marinette giggled lightly.

"I love you, forever," the hero said, pressing a final kiss against his girlfriend's lips.

Marinette smiled sweetly and looked up at him. "And you, kitty, I love you, forever."

* * *

 _ **Bonus Scene**_

* * *

 _Marinette groaned, her phone's ringtone waking both her and her kwami up. She blinked, getting used to the bright screen before_ seing _who was calling. She brightened at the name, then slouching in confusion before flopping back onto the bed._

 _"Adrien? What is it?"_

 _"Hey, princess, sorry to wake you up. Plagg won't let me sleep. He wants to talk to Tikki."_

 _Marinette groaned, rubbing her face._

 _"Again?"_

* * *

 **And that's it! Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading and for all the support! More MLB fanfictions will be on their way! I'm thinking of doing a medieval times AU because I saw this Tumblr post about how Chat Noir must call Marinette "Princess" because a previous holder was in love with a princess (who was obviously a previous Ladybug) and it was a subconscious thought flowing in through Plagg.**

 **Anyways, the playlist my friends were asking for will be coming soon. Thank all of you so, so, so much for reading, favoriting, following, and reviewing! I love you all!**

* * *

 _ **Bonus Scene**_

 _Marinette groaned, her phone's ringtone waking both her and her kwami up. She blinked, getting used to the bright screen before_ seing _who was calling. She brightened at the name, then slouching in confusion before flopping back onto the bed._

 _"Adrien? What is it?"_

 _"Hey, princess, sorry to wake you up. Plagg won't let me sleep. He wants to talk to Tikki."_

 _Marinette groaned, rubbing her face._

 _"Again?"_


End file.
